I was playing around with my Tag Makers recently and stumbled upon the idea to attach the tag to a gift bag with a small wooden clothes peg rather than to tie it with twine through the hole at the top. This discovery was perfect timing since I’ve got some Halloween gift bags to make up.

I’m sure you’ve seen the new Tag Maker punches which enable you to create handmade tags easily and quickly. They even feature a centered hole punch and eyelet setter – all in the same tool! As I’m sure you are aware, tags can be used for so many purposes beyond gift packaging labels. Check out the gallery of projects over at Fiskars.com for more ideas on how to use your tags.

I’m still more than a little bit in love with the whole geometric trend. It’s such a strong, bold look and can be used in so many different ways. I was recently inspired by these modular coasters, spotted on the Purl Bee website and there’s always a place for new coasters in my home! I wanted to give mine a more autumnal feel, using a mix of rich berry and oranges.I made a few changes from the original coasters, which were stitched up by hand. For the sake of speed and efficiency, I used a zig zag stitch on my machine for all the inside seams. After cutting out felt squares measuring 4.75″ on each side, I then cut smaller squares and triangles and arranged them in position on a piece of white wool felt.

We are coming to the last few days of summer vacation, and I must admit I’m feeling nostalgic for the days when we still had a long, hot summer ahead of us. I think the kids are, in some ways, starting to feel ready to get back to school, but I’m feeling a little sad! To keep myself occupied, I’m trying to craft my way to school preparedness, starting with this vinyl, reusable lunch bag.I used this pattern by Pretty Prudent, with a couple of modifications. Firstly, I used a vinyl material with a wipedown wrong side. A quick rinse under a tap should keep this lunch bag clean inside and out. Second, I used Velcro for the seal, instead of a button or tie. Velcro is so easy for small fingers to manage, and I really like how you can roll down the top edges to make a neat closure and avoid spillages.

If you're wondering how long this little fella will last in my house, the answer is…'not long'. What's your favorite Halloween treat?

4 months ago

Fiskateer Molly needs your help! (And if I'm honest, so do I…) She has two drawers full of paper scraps and she'd like your suggestions on how to organize them. Do you sort by size, pattern, color…? What do you store them IN? Please share! And thank you :-)